America the Majestic (United States of America #2)

The Little Things

Happy Valentine's Day!

The rest of the day went on without incident, though now there was a tension in the air that, if possible, would drive an ordinary person insane. The nations refused to glance at or speak to America, and England looked worse for wear. Also, to the states' satisfaction, the place where their mother struck him was still blazing red.

However, America continued on with the evening like nothing was wrong, but it would take a complete idiot to not notice how mentally exhausted she was. So it didn't surprise the states when the older woman immediately went upstairs to head to bed after dinner, leaving the nations alone with the states.

Of course, they glanced at their coworker's children with weariness, wondering what they would do now that they were alone. However, they seemed genuinely surprised when the states pretended like they didn't exist, instead working to clean up after themselves, but none of them looked their way, nor said a word to each other. They just quietly cleaned the dishes, wiped the table, and placed their napkins in the laundry basket before they finally went out the front door, where the invisible forest appeared before them and disappeared when they entered.

None of the nations went after them.

They knew they fucked up. Big time. England most of all, and the others avoided the green-eyed nation like the plague, unable to look at him and not remember America's words.

Even France, Spain, and Prussia, who woke up not too long ago, didn't say a word.

~~~

It was calming here in this place, and the states understood why their mother loved it so much. In fact, it was also their safe haven, where they would come to get away from the world they were born and raised in and sometimes meet with their lovers. Now, each and every one of them were sitting by the lake, which sparkled and reflected the different colors of the imaginary night sky above them, once more saying nothing.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island sat close to each other, the shorter-haired blackette fingering the surface of the lake while her twin siblings watched on. Finally, Connecticut opened her mouth.

"I hate him, it's official."

Her siblings looked to her.

"I knew he was a lowlife, but this is icing on the cake. Now I hate that I share blood with him." Connecticut clenched her fist, her long and black coated fingernails biting into the skin of her palm. "He just went on ahead and commented on our  behavior like we weren't even there, and he had the balls to actually insult Grandmother!"

A few of the states hardened their jaws or clenched their own fists, while others shook their heads, still not saying a word.

"Mother was right; Britannia would be ashamed of him."

"I believe she already is," Delaware spoke up, glancing outwards into the forest around them. "Don't you remember? Mother told us that herself."

"I know, but it's still upsetting." Connecticut brought her knees up to her chest. "He doesn't know Mother, and he blindly assumed he knew how she raised us, but if there's one thing I know he's wrong about, it's that she did raise us better than he ever could."

"Si," California agreed, a sad smile on her face. "Now, I know this may sound childish, but I wish I was a niña again."

No one looked at her strangely.

"Me too," Mississippi chimed in, nodding.

Soon everyone wished the same thing, and now they were enjoying the way they could think about the past here and not back at the mansion.

"Remember when Mother would bring us here when we were little?" New Hampshire asked, finally deciding to leave the water alone.

Everyone sighed in bliss. "Yeah," Michigan replied, a small smile gracing her lips. "Some of you were older than me when she first brought me here. I remember that she was so balanced and graceful while she carried me that I was awestruck and, I hate to admit, a little jealous."

"That too, but...I just wish I was a little girl so she could hold me again and pat me on the back whenever I was scared," California admitted.

"Me too," replied Hawaii and Alaska.

"I wish that she would sing us to sleep every night," Texas said, his eyes distant. "Her voice is very calming and always spoke of distant lands that we could never physically enter."

"Her storytelling is just as good!" Georgia cut in, but then blushed and hid his red face in his knees.

The fact that England said those horrible things to their mother faded away as they talked about their childhood together. They remembered America picking up their crying and tiny infant selves whenever they were hungry, needed a diaper change, or just missed her. Either way, she was always there whenever she was able, and would quietly hum to them whenever they were distressed and would feed them and change their diapers herself.

Of course, they knew they weren't supposed to remember those things, but they were states after all.

They remembered how she was there to watch them take their first steps, when they started to crawl, and even when they said their first words. They even went on to remember a certain time when a younger Vermont and Texas were particularly wanting their mother's attention and ended up getting jealous of each other.

"No, she's my mama!" a physically nine-year-old Texas spat at his half-brother as he clutched at one end of America's skirts.

"No she's not!" a younger Vermont shouted back, glaring at Texas while clutching the other side of the dress.

"Boys," America tried to say, but the two younger boys were too busy arguing with each other to even notice. So, the only thing the older woman could do was quietly and nervously chuckle and continue to let the boys go at it until it got to the point where she finally had to lock them in their rooms until they behaved themselves.

Everyone laughed at this.

Texas blushed fiercely while Vermont glared into the distance. "Shut up! It wasn't funny!" the former yelled out.

But, it would be awhile before everyone calmed down. It was always too hilarious of a story to not laugh at.